I just got back from being off of work for nearly 2 weeks and the one thing I got a whole lot of was rest. My intention was to go back to Chicago, workout at a local gym, and do some trail running at the local Forest Preserve.......let's just say I barely made it around the neighborhood block once and never stepped foot into the gym at all. I think there were 2 days that I actually stayed in my pajamas the entire day. As healthy of a diet as I always try to follow when I travel, I didn't micro-manage anything. I still ate my salads, veggies, and clean eats. But really I just sat back ,relaxed, ate what felt good to me at the time, and allowed my body to decompress. I didn't for a second, upon my return back home, feel like I needed to get back on track or go for any long runs or engage in any kind of radical reset cleansing protocols. My body, for the first time in a long time, felt like MY BODY!!

We live in a world where "the grind" is now the daily mentality of life.....in all aspects of life. We live in a world where if we are not pushing, forcing, and sweating it out, not just in the gym, but in everything, that we are not accomplishing our goals. We live in the world where the mentality that exists is such that if you're not working hard, competing against others, or have something on the calendar or check list to cross off, that we are considered lazy. And we also live in the world where all of that is a bunch of nonsense and one big Mind "F."

My intention, after I got back home from my trip, was to take a few extra days off and extend my vacation. To not go back to work the very next day and pick up right where I left off. To not go for runs. To not detox from cheats I may have had. To not wake up at 4 am and hit the gym right away. And to not do the same thing that I've always done. I wanted to take the extra time to really allow myself full decompression. Stay in that mode of vacation and continue the healing process of being away and it being ok. When we work in a position of helping others, we give a lot of ourselves away physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And just a few days off simply isn't enough to reset our minds and bodies and allow them to come back together again in wholeness. The irony of vacation is that you actually need a vacation right after your vacation to allow the travel and change in schedule to adjust.

The grind is a double edged sword. It serves its purpose as a platform to get things done. We do well when we have a routine and a focal point. But when we don't pull ourselves away from the grind, it can work against us. When we are too rigid with our diets and always eat the same thing day in and day out without a little break in routine, it can backfire on us. When we train, whether it be in the gym, on the road, or in any kind of intense form of athletics, we beat our bodies down in order to build them up. This is great for our mentality as well. But that too needs a break. It's ok to take a vacation from the diet and from the working out and from all the nooks and crannies of health and wellness. Because your mindset is such that when you are committed to this lifestyle, it's impossible to stray too far. You are one with your body and you are one with your mind. When they come together, they will always keep you aligned and give you the proper signals to adhere to.

So don't fear what's actually good for you. Too much of a good thing, too much grind, too much of anything that eventually becomes obsessive and compulsive is what will hold you back from ultimately staying on track. Allow yourself some rest days. Allow yourself some treats here and there. Allow yourself a lazy day at the beach, a forbidden meal with a good friend, and allow yourself a vacation, with your loved ones.

True health comes from balance on all levels. To deny yourself this balance is what creates health issues, weight issues, and emotional issues.

Find your soft spot and stay there. There is great wellness and love in this space.

After taking this time off, I feel invigorated, relaxed, refueled, and ready to go. Not just at the gym. But at work, with my writing, with my social life, and most importantly, with me.